It all started with a good friend, on a Tuesday morning. He comes into my office and says " Hey, I want you to come test drive this car i want to buy", so i said no worries. I am a master motorcycle and ATV technician, so I know my way around a vehicle. I got dressed and we headed over from the east side of Houston to Tomball. And there it was, something i recognized but i couldnt put my finger on. A 2017 Chevrolet Caprice, it was wider than i expected, the little widebody stance got me excited right away. And then the seller pops the hood, and I knew i was looking at something very different than your average four door sedan. After driving it i knew i had to have one, but maybe one day.
And then..
the seller goes "hey i got this blown up one ill sell you dirt cheap". My eyebrows raised as we turned the corner and we saw her for the first time. I instantly coughed up the cash for another 2017, in white, with a very slight engine knock and a messed up transmission. I made a gamble, but i bet on my experience that i would see it through.
First round of parts was rod bearings. Jacked the engine up and removed the oil pan, no smoking guns, nothing looked amiss. Changed all 8 rod bearings anyway. Still had a baby knock and low oil pressure. Next round was oil pump and pan bypass delete, still no joy. Finally on my third attempt i pulled main caps (which i know i should have done originally), i found two very toasted main bearings. Being self employed and having little time for a complete rebuild on an LS, i went ahead and turned in new main bearings from the bottom, sure enough she spins like a top.
Next was transmission that i had professionally done, shifts smooth and quick now. I drove it near a thousand miles over this past easter weekend, doing a grand tour of south Texas with my wonderful fiance. All of these events took place in less than a month, so she came around quite quick. Other than whats been done i dont plan on doing any modifications. Just taking good care of her and enjoying her as a daily for years to come.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading my ramblings, and thank you to everyone on the forum for all the information i have already gathered in my quest for six litres of naturally aspirated greatness.
Sincerely,
Joseph Ismail and La Paloma (my cars name)
2Kings Performance, East Houston